We’re all locked down at the moment, and a lot has changed for us… The world currently looks like a different place, most musicians (including me) have had work, projects and live shows cancelled and everyone’s trying to adjust to a new version of normal. I’ve noticed that I’m finding it hard to sleep, struggling to find a new routine has been really tough and I know I’m not alone with that. It’s unsurprising that we may be feeling a little off balance right now.  

The benefits of self-care

Researchers have shown that self-care and self-compassion can make it easier for you to deal with stressful situations and uncertainty, and can also reduce psychological distress. We’ve spoken about the importance of grounding and mindfulness in this lockdown support series, and mindfulness practitioners would suggest that only 10 minutes per day of self-care activity can make a huge difference to your mental and physical wellbeing.

Shouldn’t we all be able to commit just 10 minutes a day to doing something that makes us feel good? I know it’s difficult sometimes but prioritising your wellbeing is absolutely essential, you deserve it.

Creating even a tiny self-care routine and habit can transform your wellbeing. That’s why it’s so important to do what makes you feel good at the moment, prioritise YOU and understand that you can’t pour from an empty cup… It’s really difficult to create, to get motivated, to adjust and be there for others unless you’re in a good space yourself. As flight attendants say at the beginning of every single flight, “you must put YOUR oxygen mask on first”.

Here are some of our top tips for self-care:

Appreciate

  • A good place to start with self-care and compassion is to appreciate YOU and recognise that you’re amazing. You are strong, and resilient. You’ve made it through every difficult situation that life has EVER thrown at you, and you’re doing a great job right now. The best you can, bearing in mind the strange circumstances we’ve found ourselves in. Try not to compare yourself to others, and train your inner voice to appreciate all you’ve already done, be grateful. Be kind to yourself, you’re a perfectly imperfect human doing your best that’s worth celebrating.

Commit

  • Commit to taking at least 10 minutes out of every single day to prioritise YOU and treat yourself to whatever makes you feel good. Whether this is taking time to breathe, yoga, hot bath, jam session, learning a new song, take time for you and savour every moment. No matter what happens in your day, commit to this time to focus on you and don’t compromise. This is not a selfish activity, it’s essential for your wellbeing.   

Self care checklist

  • Create a self-care checklist when you’re feeling good, breaking down what makes you feel good and what you need. This can be a powerful preventative step that you can call upon at times where you start to struggle or just need a little bit of extra lovin’.

Stay active

  • I’ve been doing Les Mills workouts and 30 day ‘Yoga With Adriene’ challenges since lockdown, which have helped me to keep active, switch off and build strength in my body. Not every day though, sometimes I can’t muster the energy!! I know sometimes at the moment it feels impossible to get the energy to do anything at all but even just walking out of your front door and around the block can make a huge difference both physically and mentally.

Connect

  • Connecting with friends and family at this time can be the biggest self-care activity of all. Seeing faces of loved ones can be incredible for our wellbeing, and also joining online activities e.g. virtual pub quizzes as part of a global community.

Self-care is about balance, not perfection and there are lots of ways to get that balance that could change on a daily basis. Find what works for you and give yourself permission to always prioritise you and your wellbeing… Every single day.

We’d love to know what you’re doing at the moment for ‘self-care’, what is your treat? What do you look forward to?

If you’ve enjoyed this pool of resources, then please share the links far and wide to support as many people as possible in this unique situation.

As always, if you’d like to chat to us please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

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